Program Reviews

if you know anyone who has ever studied abroad, you have most likely heard them say that it was the best experience of their life.. Alnwick absolutely lives up to this in every way! Whether you are a history buff, a Harry Potter fanatic or just have an itch to travel, Alnwick has the perfect combination of all things wonderful!

With living in a castle, to weekly trips around the UK, to week long breaks to do your own adventures.. This program really does meet and exceeds everyone's desires. Highly highly recommend

Going to South Africa for a semester was the best decision I could have made for myself while attending college. I went as a Non-traditional student during my sophomore year. Even though I have traveled a lot in my life, this country was a delightful new scene. Studying at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University offered a different way of learning that challenged my opinions and gave me a better understanding of the world. The classes I took such as African Human Migration, Tourism, Psychology, and others gave me more insight into this culture. I also took a community service course that allowed me interact with disabled adults at Cheshire Homes. All of these courses were designed to get the international students to be immersed in the South African culture and educational system. It is something that truly enjoyed and learned a lot from.

While studying here I also got the opportunity to forge many friendships with locals and other international students. They are people that I still keep in touch with to this day. We traveled up and down the coast to visit different cities, swam with seals, zip lined, bungee jumped, went on safari's etc. When you combine the classroom learning with traveling on your own or with friends you gain so much appreciation for the world around you. This truly is a unique experience that I would recommend to anyone. Studying Abroad is really the way to go!

My experience of studying in Australia had a huge impact on me. I will surely enjoy the memories from my time abroad for the rest of my life. The laid back, 'no worries' attitude I was surrounded with helped me to breathe easy for a while and discover what kind of career I want to pursue in such a pivotal time in life. I liked it so much that I have returned and am writing this review from Australia!

Southern Cross University (SCU) in Lismore, Australia is an incredible place to plant yourself for a semester. The campus is built on a rain forest remnant, so if you are looking forward to seeing a lot of wildlife, you will not be disappointed. Koalas are seen daily as there are close to 30 of them on campus. You can also see kangaroos and wallabies early in the morning. Small parrots called lorikeets are always flying overhead and water dragons hang out in the streams around campus.

SCU is located near some of the best surfing beaches in the world, including the beautiful Byron Bay, where I spent most of my time. The area around the campus is surrounded by green rolling hills and it doesn't take long to drive out of town to go swimming near waterfalls.

The courses in Australia are a bit different. You have lectures and tutorials (applying the lessons learned from lecture) for each class. This makes for more in class learning and less work to take home with you. All of my professors were good at engaging the students and making the lecture interesting and fun. Outdoor Education is a must take if you go to SCU. This course is comprised of two camping trips in the Australian Bush and lessons in outdoor living and survival in the classroom.

I highly recommend this program.. Even for those of you who are afraid of snakes and spiders ;) (although you won't see many at all unless you go looking). You will be amazed at the generosity of Australians and the open arms you will be welcomed with at SCU. Don't think about it, just do it!

I would HIGHLY recommend this program to anyone who is interested in studying abroad. Yes, I'm a little biased as I went to Alnwick myself; however, the program really is that great. How many people can say they've lived in the Harry Potter castle?! The weekly field-trips allow you to explore all over England and Scotland, and because of them, you are able to see many aspects of the United Kingdom that you might miss out on if you attend a program in a bigger city. Speaking of bigger cities, there are many opportunities to visit larger areas (like the longer group trip to London, for example). Newcastle is great for shopping, visiting historical sites, or just a night out, and is only a short bus ride away. Edinburgh is also an awesome nearby destination--the train ride there is beautiful enough in itself to make the trip worth it. The Alnwick program also has time set aside for students to travel on their own, so you really get the full European experience. When you are in the town of Alnwick, you really become a part of the community. Instead of constantly being surrounded by fellow American students, you really immerse yourself in everything British. The townspeople are so welcoming and you quickly develop friendships that will last a lifetime. In all, Alnwick is an experience like no other. That being said, again, I highly recommend the program to anyone looking to have an adventure abroad.

The program that St. Cloud State University runs is unlike any other experience on the market. As students, we lived and studied in the Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, England. SCSU is the only university with a lease agreement with the Duke & Duchess of Northumberland (the Percy family) so it's truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Every semester (Fall, Spring, Summer) two different SCSU faculty travel with the group to teach major-specific courses. In addition, there are two British faculty that teach cultural courses. I completed 12 credits during the summer session. 6 credits counted towards my major(s) requirements and the remaining 6 credits applied towards my Generals.

Aside from the academic benefits, there are also endless immersion opportunities. Because we are the only exchange students in the fairly small town, we were able to get to know the locals quite well! Alnwick is an extremely welcoming city and as long as you and your fellow students are respectful, there will be no issues. It's a place where you feel like home after just a couple of weeks. There are plenty of places to eat, shop and experience the nightlife scene.

I volunteered at the local radio station as I was a Broadcast Journalism major. Gaining on-air experience abroad was a huge value-add to my resume. I produced a show along with two other guys on my program. We had a blast playing our favorite music, talking about our daily experiences, responding to listeners and operating the equipment. Our 4-hour once a week block quickly became a highlight of my summer.

Day to day, we had class all day Monday - Thursday with breaks to work on homework and group projects. Every Friday there was a field trip led by one of our British faculty. We had our weekends free to travel -- and there was a week-long holiday break in the middle of the term, too. I made it to Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam, London and other cities all over England during our free time. Newcastle is about a 30 minute bus ride away so there's easy access to a metropolitan area.

This program is open to non-SCSU students so I'd highly recommend checking it out! Oh, I forgot to mention that this castle is affectionately known as Hogwarts as Harry's first broom ride was filmed in the outer Bailey. Who else can say that they ACTUALLY lived inside Hogwarts?! The Chamber of Secrets has yet to be found...